Quick mission: We don't make trouble

Chapter 279 Making Tofu (4)

At this moment, the crucial moment that everyone was looking forward to finally arrived! The Second Madam, the cook, Dingxiang, Qiangwei, and the others all stared at Zhu Qingqing without blinking, as if she possessed some rare treasure.

Zhu Qingqing just smiled slightly and said softly, "Everyone, relax a little. There's no need to be so nervous." Her calm demeanor made people admire her.

Then, Zhu Qingqing carefully took out a small, exquisite porcelain bottle that she had prepared in advance from her bosom. The small porcelain bottle shone faintly in the sunlight, making it particularly eye-catching.

Zhu Qingqing held the small porcelain bottle high and demonstrated it to the crowd, saying, "Look, everyone! This is the key to magically transforming soy milk into tofu!" She paused briefly, glancing around at the curious and expectant eyes of the people around her before continuing, "In my hometown, there's a saying: 'Brine makes tofu, one thing conquers another.' And what's contained in this bottle is none other than that magical brine! In the future, I'll be providing this brine to everyone at a specific time. As for the specific amount of brine required for each kilogram of soybeans, I've recorded it in detail on a recipe."

The second wife, who was standing by, heard this and thought to herself, "Oh my, the master is really amazing after all! Even if other people know the steps of making tofu, without this crucial brine, everything will be in vain!" Thinking of this, the second wife looked at Zhu Qingqing with a little more admiration and respect in her eyes.

Zhu Qingqing took a bowl, filled it halfway with water, then poured some of the brine from the bottle into it and stirred it evenly.

"Just watch, I'm going to perform a magic trick."

Everyone stared at her with bated breath, not blinking.

I saw her carefully adding the prepared brine into the soy milk little by little, and a magical change happened instantly. The white soy milk gradually solidified and turned into cotton wool, and finally formed tofu pudding.

Zhu Qingqing scooped out two bowls and set them aside.

Then he picked up a ladle and scooped the remaining tofu pudding in the pot into a wooden frame box covered with filter cloth. This wooden box was also made by Zhu's father and Wang Xiangdong last night. When the box was full, he folded the filter cloth over to cover the tofu pudding, and then gently pressed it with a wooden board to squeeze out excess water.

Zhu Qingqing gestured to the cook, "You come and press it.

Don't use too much force, just squeeze the water out."

Then he put his hand on the cook's hand, letting her feel the strength.

Cook: "I understand."

Zhu Qingqing then signaled to another cook to scoop all the remaining tofu pudding in the pot into another wooden box and do the same.

So the two cooks and the second wife took turns pressing the wooden board. As for Lilac and Qiangwei, they were too small to do it themselves, so they stood aside and could only watch.

Taking advantage of this free time, Zhu Qingqing adjusted the flavors of the two bowls of tofu pudding, one sweet and the other spicy and salty.

"Okay, come and try some tofu pudding. See what flavor you like."

The second wife and the cook stopped what they were doing and looked at the two bowls of tofu pudding.

Cook: "Madam, please go first."

The second wife was not polite either. She took a small spoon and scooped two spoonfuls each to taste it.

"Yeah, that's right. The sweet ones can be used as dessert snacks, and the salty ones can be used as meals.

Well, I think the old lady likes the sweet one, while the old man might prefer the spicy and salty one. I'll prepare this flavor for them in the future, they're sure to like it.

As he said this, he put down the spoon and motioned for Chef Chen to come and taste it.

The cook also tasted two bites and left the rest to Lilac and Rose.

Seeing the two people still wanting more, Zhu Qingqing smiled and said, "Follow me in the future, you will have many opportunities to try the food until you don't want to eat anymore."

Lilac and Rose lowered their heads in embarrassment and quickly took the bowl to wash.

The two cooks went back to pressing the boards.

Time slipped by quietly, and with each passing moment, moisture seeped out of the tofu pudding as if by magic. Gradually, the tofu pudding began to solidify, its shape becoming increasingly clear, and finally condensed into pieces of tender and tempting tofu.

Zhu Qingqing said, "Okay, that's enough. There's no need to put more pressure on us." Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhu Qingqing then carefully removed the wooden board pressing on the tofu and gently lifted the filter cloth covering it. In an instant, two boxes of tofu, pure and tender as white jade, appeared before everyone's eyes.

Those flawless cubes of tofu, like precious gifts from nature, lie quietly, emitting a unique and captivating aroma. This fragrance emanates not only from the tofu itself, but also from the wisdom and warmth honed through traditional craftsmanship. These tofu are not only beautiful in appearance, but also have a natural, simple flavor that is truly mouth-watering. They quietly await, eagerly anticipating the day when they will find their way into countless homes and become delicious dishes on the tables of countless people.

Witnessing all this, the Second Lady couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "It's truly amazing! Just ordinary soybeans can actually transform into such smooth and tender soy milk, then into this sweet and delicious tofu pudding, and finally into such delicious tofu. It's like an incredible dream, no, it's hard to even imagine! Master Zhu, if you hadn't taught us personally, even if we knew tofu was made from soybeans, with so many steps involved, we wouldn't have been able to make it."

Zhu Qingqing smiled and replied, "That's why it's not surprising that tofu can be sold for the same price as meat." Hearing this, the Second Lady was stunned for a moment, then fell into deep thought. Selling it for the same price as meat? She had never considered this question before. Was this really feasible? Soybeans were worthless in the market; people didn't eat them; they were used to feed livestock.

Zhu Qingqing: "Scarcity makes things valuable. What's more, even if you have money, you may not be able to buy them. We are here to make money from the rich. If we sell it cheaply, it would be a waste of their money, right?"

As he said this, he winked at the second wife.

Second Madam: "I understand."

I learned a few more tricks from Master Zhu.

She warned the cook and Lilac Rose, "This tofu is made from soybeans. Don't let it get out."

"Yes, Second Madam."

Then he looked at Zhu Qingqing and said, "I'm not worried that others will make tofu. I'm afraid that once people know it's made from soybeans, the price of soybeans will go up."

Zhu Qingqing nodded, "Second Madam has prepared for a rainy day and has considered everything carefully."

Second Madam: "I learned all this from Master Zhu."